The image of the sleeping baby was posted on Facebook and quickly went viral

“We waited there for a little bit, wondering if the mum was just going to be two seconds and come back. And my wife said, ‘I’m not going in without someone being here with the baby’.”

The couple were joined by a further two people, and the child’s mother was eventually telephoned and summoned. A picture of the baby was later posted on Facebook and quickly went viral.

The same witness, who said the baby appeared well cared for, added: "As parents ourselves we know it is hard to get a baby to sleep, and once you start moving them they can wake up ... we thought it was just a silly decision by a tired mother."

Under New Zealand law, a parent can be fined for leaving a child alone without making reasonable provisions